Onion prices are again on the rise causing much worry to the common man. But the high prices are not so uniform across the different stat...

Saturday, November 23, 2013

What does the IQ mean? What does it measure?

IQ known as Intelligence Quotient is a reflection of how well one performs in a specific test that measures cognitive abilities, in comparison to a large population. There is a standardized scale where 100 is the median score. Approximately 68% of the population has an IQ between 90 and 110, plus or minus 10. It can be said that 95% people have an IQ between 90 and 130. A person with IQ above 130 indicates exceptional intelligence.

William James Sidis from America has the highest IQ ever recorded ie. Between 250 and 300.

But have we ever wondered what exactly does IQ constitute? What is cognitive ability?

The basic concept behind IQ test is to measure one’s ability to think and solve problems rather than the amount of knowledge he possesses. A person with greater knowledge can have less IQ as compared to someone who is less knowledgeable.

But the real question is “Does IQ really measure one’s intelligence”?

It is very difficult to answer this because Intelligence cannot be defined. IQ tests can be predictive of general intelligence. It is very subjective and so it is always ambiguous as to what IQ is actually supposed to measure. Though it is beyond one’s scope to determine intelligence, IQ tests might be the best resort as they are pretty accurate.